Climate Risk Index 2025: Assessing Pakistan’s Vulnerability to Climate Change
The Climate Risk Index 2025 reveals the escalating impacts of climate change on countries like Pakistan, which faces ongoing climate hazards and economic losses. The research outlines the need for improved resilience strategies and greater financial support for vulnerable nations while highlighting the links between climate change, social inequalities, and security threats. Effective governance and targeted adaptation measures are vital for mitigating risks and ensuring sustainable development.
The 2025 Climate Risk Index (CRI), published by Germanwatch, reveals the increasing effects of climate change and the necessity for improved resilience strategies. Covering data from 1993 to 2022, the CRI highlights the impact of extreme weather events on various countries, categorizing them into those facing isolated events and those dealing with ongoing climate hazards, with Pakistan noted as a country under the latter classification.
The report indicates that the inaction towards climate change has resulted in over 765,000 global deaths and $4.2 trillion in direct losses attributed to extreme weather. While Dominica, China, and Honduras rank highest in the overall CRI from 1993 to 2022, Pakistan faces significant relative economic losses illustrated particularly by the devastation during the 2022 monsoon season, which affected over 33 million people.
The catastrophic floods from June to September 2022 caused more than 1,700 fatalities and destroyed nearly $15 billion in infrastructure, excluding the estimated $16 billion needed for reconstruction. Pakistan’s minimal contribution of less than 1% to global greenhouse gas emissions underlines the nation’s vulnerability to climate events.
The intensity of the disaster increased due to climate change, which intensified monsoon rains by approximately 50%. This exacerbated existing inequalities, particularly affecting women in agriculture who faced heightened risks of poverty and violence amid displacement.
The CRI report, referencing the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, urges a reassessment of global resilience-building efforts, emphasizing the essential role of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13, in addressing climate change challenges. The effects of extreme weather undermine food and water security, stalling progress towards these goals.
Additionally, the report discusses the interplay between climate change and security, noting that climate impacts threaten individual well-being and national stability. It highlights mechanisms through which climate change may provoke conflict, emphasizing the specific vulnerabilities of marginalized communities in regions with ethnic tensions.
The CRI underlines the need for effective governance and risk management, advising the implementation of frameworks like the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and National Adaptation Plans. These initiatives are critical for addressing countries’ unique adaptation requirements and enhancing early warning systems.
Despite the insights offered by the CRI report, the financing outlook for resilience remains grim. Increased financial support for vulnerable countries is essential, as illustrated by criticisms directed at COP29’s insufficient goals for mobilizing adaptation finance.
Projections from the IPCC (2022) suggest heightened human vulnerability in regions lacking adequate infrastructures, with storms, floods, and heatwaves being key contributors to fatalities and economic losses from 1993 to 2022.
Lastly, the CRI findings stress that without ambitious mitigation efforts, even high-income nations remain susceptible to severe climate impacts. Thus, collective responsibility among nations to enhance mitigation actions and meet stricter climate targets is paramount to limiting global warming to 1.5 °C. The report provides valuable insights for Pakistani policymakers to refine climate resilience strategies and secure international climate finance for national development.
In conclusion, the report calls for a comprehensive approach toward improving disaster preparedness to protect communities and drive sustainable development. The climate crisis demands immediate attention, informed decision-making, and collaboration at multiple governance levels to mitigate risks associated with climate change.
The Climate Risk Index 2025 underscores the urgent need for enhanced climate resilience, particularly in Pakistan, which faces severe impacts from climate change despite low greenhouse gas emissions. The report calls for increased financial support, effective governance, and prioritization of resilience-building efforts to combat the drastic effects of climate-related disasters. Policymakers are urged to leverage the insights provided to bolster climate strategies and secure international aid for sustainable development.
Original Source: www.thenews.com.pk
